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The concerns and coping strategies of new mothers in the early postpartum period

University of British Columbia

This study explores the concerns and coping strategies of primiparous women during the first one to four weeks following the birth of their baby. A total of 15 English speaking women between the ages of 22 to 34 were interviewed in their homes. Each woman was asked to describe the current changes, challenges, and joys she was experiencing as well as the coping strategies she was using to deal with the changes, challenges, and joys. A descriptive design was used. Data were collected during interviews using open-ended questions. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the findings. Six concerns (changes, challenges, and joys) emerged from data collected during interviews: becoming a mother, emotional and physical restoration, breastfeeding, balancing roles, developing relationship with baby, and unsupportive attitudes/actions of others. The eight coping strategies used by the women to manage their concerns were: seeking support/advice, accepting support/advice, caring for self, redefining normal, encouraging/accepting partner's involvement, sharing feelings, identifying what was right for self, and utilizing/modifying former coping strategies. The implications from this research are many. Nurses and childbirth educators need to incorporate specific skills and strategies to deal with the postnatal period in prenatal preparation. Prenatal classes, drop-ins, and information kiosks could serve as a source of information about community resources and how to access them. Alternatively, classes could be offered in the postnatal period. Because breastfeeding issues were such a concern to the women of this study, health care professionals must not stand in judgment of women who wish to bottlefeed from birth, or women who want to switch from breastfeeding to bottlefeeding. Communication between hospital maternity nurses, liaison nurses, and community health nurses needs to be further developed, because community health nurses need to be aware of parental concerns expressed about the postpartum period before they visit parents at home. Nurses, students, and educators must be aware of new mother's concerns during the early postpartum period in order that they can acknowledge, be sensitive to, and respond to these women and their partners appropriately. Nurses need to be involved in the development and operation of programs that are supportive of new parent's concerns and coping strategies. Students, nurses, educators, and researchers also require education about the concerns and coping strategies of new mothers and their partners in order that they support strategies, they assist with development and utilization of strategies and they address their interventions to strategies used by couples.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-01-13

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3605

Nursing

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace